NYU Child Study Center Pulls Controversial Ads

A controversial ad campaign featuring ransom notes "from" ADHD and other learning disabilities was pulled from billboards and posters this week.

The Child Study Center at New York University ended an ad campaign aimed at raising public awareness about ADHD, Asperger's Syndrome, and other childhood mental illnesses and learning disabilities.

The ads, which were meant to look like ransom notes "from" the disorders, featured phrases like "Ignore this and your kid will pay."

The Child Study Center released a statement saying that they intended to show the necessity of early detection and treatment of childhood mental illness through the campaign. When the Center decided to end the campaign because it offended some parents of children with such disorders, they released a second statement apologizing. They also stated that while their ads succeeded in catching people's attention, it was centered around the ads themselves, and not the issues. So, they decided to pull the ads because there were more pressing concerns in the field.

For more information about the ad campaign or to read the Child Study Center's press release, go to http://www.aboutourkids.org/about_us/public_awareness